Desserts à la Mariane

I really enjoy creating different kinds of squares. There’s something about the simplicity of pouring batter into one dish that puts a smile on my face (no need to portion out the batter to make perfectly shaped cookies or muffins, lol).

Now, these squares were a total experiment and they turned out fantastic! The squares are creamy and smooth and they have a delightful crumble topping that adds a nice crunch and really just completes the dish. I definitely encourage you to give this recipe a try!

Crumble Topping Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 Lindt Madagascar dark chocolate bar (or another dark chocolate bar of your choice)

Square Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup natural almond butter
• 1-14 oz can chickpeas
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 bananas
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup water

Crumble Topping Directions:

Put all ingredients into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until a coarse crumble forms. Transfer into a bowl and set aside.

Square Directions:

Begin by opening your can of chickpeas, transferring them to a strainer, and rinsing them very well. Once rinsed, transfer the chickpeas to the bowl of your food processor (no need to clean out your food processor from making the crumble topping). Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl of your food processor and process until smooth.

Using coconut oil, lightly grease an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Pour batter into the baking dish smoothing it out with the back of a spoon.

Next, pour the crumble topping over the batter. Use a spoon to even it out so that it covers the batter completely and is distributed evenly.

Bake in preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the dish comes out almost batter free. (This is key as you cannot see how the batter is cooking due to the crumble topping. There will be melted chocolate on your toothpick, but there should be only a little batter.)

Let the dish cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to the fridge. Let cool in the fridge for 5-6 hours before cutting into squares and serving.

Store leftovers in the fridge.

Enjoy!